.32 ACP Self Defense

[Bullseye1776]

I'm going to start pocket carrying my Tomcat when my EDC just wont work. Do y'all have any recommendations for loads? after thinking about it it dawned on my that hollow points may not be a good idea with reduced penetration with such a small caliber,

Thoughts?

 

[Captain O]

ABSOLUTELY! IMHO, ignore the "you need a hollow point load to be effective" nonsense. I have five .32 ACP handguns. Your very best bet is to buy a "European" level FMJ load.

Look up how well the Fiocchi 73-grain "blue box" FMJ load penetrates from a 2.5" barrel (on Lucky Gunner's tests form real handguns.) This illustrates how the 7.65 Browning can perform from a shorter barrel. (A 3.8"+ barrel is optimal for adequate penetration.)

When it comes to the .32 ACP, make no mistake about it... penetration is everything!

Load or purchase your ammunition accordingly.

 

[Dobbinsky]

I load FMJ in my Walther PPK .32 ACP. Hollow points are more likely to have feeding issues. Mine feeds with zero issues so far.

 

[Captain O]

I load FMJ in my Walther PPK .32 ACP. Hollow points are more likely to have feeding issues. Mine feeds with zero issues so far.

And wisely so. The FMJ, loaded to the proper OAL, avoids the dreaded "rim lock" that can get you killed in a life-threatening situation.

 

[Grayfox]

Is your Tomcat one of the newer guns? Early Tomcats had issues with frame rails cracking and were limited in what they could shoot by chamber pressure. Generally American ammo was OK, but the European stuff was too much for it.
Beretta fixed this some years ago, but there are still older guns out there. There's info on the web to help you determine if your gun is OK or not.
I had one of the older guns for a while. Nice gun, but the trigger had some sharp edges that dug into my finger and was quite uncomfortable after just a few shots. Some minor reshaping would have fixed that, but knowing about the pressure issues, I didn't bother. It just went down the road.